Written by

Annabel Ames

Detroit Free Press Special Writer

Alissa Spivey, who works at Chef Cari's the Spot, prepares falafel on July 25. / Andre J. Jackson/Detroit Free Press

People gather around a rotating line-up of local restaurants at Campus Martius on July 25. The wooden booths give people more dining options in downtown Detroit during the summer. / Andre J. Jackson/Detroit Free Press

People check out the rotating lineup of restaurants at Campus Martius last month. Vendors are open 11 a.m.-2 p.m. until Aug. 24 and change on a weekly basis. / Andre J. Jackson/Detroit Free Press

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They may not all be the Cadillacs of metro Detroit’s foodie scene, but the temporary restaurants open for business at Cadillac Square this summer are serving up affordable lunches for downtown businesspeople and tourists.

Six lime-green, 10-by-10-foot food booths, offering cuisines ranging from Mexican to Middle Eastern, have been set up in the Cadillac Square/Campus Martius area. The pop-up vendors are open 11 a.m.-2 p.m. until Aug. 24 and change on a weekly basis to offer more variety.

More than 25 food trucks, restaurants and entrepreneurs submitted applications to the Downtown Detroit Partnership earlier in the year, and about a dozen were chosen, said Bob Gregory, the senior vice president of the organization.

“We really wanted to look at how we could activate the Cadillac Square section of the park, and food options were one way that we did that,” said Gregory. “People have great food options that, for some, you would have to travel far to, and it’s affordable pricing. It’s been a huge success. The vendors are happy, and it exceeded our expectations.”

Diners may sit at tables set up in Cadillac Square or across Woodward at Campus Martius Park. Others opt to take their lunch back to their offices.

Gregory didn’t have exact sales numbers but said thousands of people have turned out.

Live music and colorful umbrellas round out the fun.

Business has remained steady for booths that serve lunch to those wanting to break away from workplace cafeterias, said Cottage Inn pizza server Elexix Simpson, a Detroit native.

“It’s relaxing. It’s beautiful. The people are really nice, and it’s quick service,” said Simpson. “It’s better to work down here when you’re outside.”

“It’s a great opportunity for them to expand their market, expand the number of people who know about them,” she said of participating eateries.

Richard Cherkasky, a 63-year-old interested in renovating a house in Midtown, stopped for lunch from Chef Cari’s the Spot kiosk with some friends.

“We eat a lot every day, and we go to a lot of restaurants,” he said. “It’s been a positive experience being downtown, and it’s nice to be able to eat outside together. It’s delightful.”

For Casey’s New York Style Ice, though, the momentum has slowed a bit now that the novelty of the restaurants has worn off.

“It’s great to be a part of all of this new energy. Now, we have a vibrant downtown,” said owner Darrick Casey. “Business has kind of died down, but we don’t sell lunch (items). We got more business two weeks ago.”